Many orthopedic procedures involve tools or other instruments that assist the surgeon during surgery. One such instrument is the surgical cutting block, otherwise known as a cutting guide, which is used during orthopedic surgical procedures to assist the surgeon in making proper bone cuts, such that prosthetic devices can be attached to a patient's bone. Cutting guides are typically provided in the form of metal blocks that include slots, holes or other apertures that serve as precise guides that show the surgeon where the bone is to be cut or drilled.
Orthopedic surgical operations routinely call for the precise and accurate cuts of bone material. Generally, these cuts, or resections, are made using surgical saws or milling devices. These instruments, while excellent at cutting the bone material, typically require cutting guides in surgical procedures calling for accurate cuts. For example, a surgeon performing a total knee arthroplasty must make several cuts on the distal end of the femur to properly fit a prosthetic femoral component. If these resections are incorrectly made, the surgery can result in failure and require further corrective procedures. Although the cutting guides allow for precise cutting, they also unfortunately can lead to deposition within the surgical field of metal debris caused by the repetitive contact between the metal cutting guide and the metal tool being used to cut or drill into the bone. Although the surgeon will always attempt to remove as much of the metal debris as possible, inevitably metal debris will remain within the patient after surgery. Recent evidence now points to the possible conclusion that this remaining metal debris may be more detrimental to the patient than originally believed.
With the above in mind, there is a compelling need to reduce or eliminate metal debris during orthopedic surgical procedures. As described in detail below, the presently disclosed invention provides systems of metal cutting guides and removable, disposable bushings made of biocompatible materials that reduce or eliminate the formation of metal debris by avoiding metal on metal contact.